Unlocking Self-Improvement Through Tech-Driven Insights: Tactics for Product and Technology Innovators
Product developers and innovators stand at the forefront of transforming everyday life into a journey of self-discovery and improvement. Gone are the days of Benjamin Franklin and his progressive yet meticulous, manual tracking of personal virtues—today, we have a wealth of technology at our fingertips, providing insights into every aspect of our lives, from health to happiness. Let's dive into some modern tactics for helping people gain valuable insights through technology, and why a little bit of data can go a long way in crafting a better you.
Provide Insight is the sixteenth Design Strategy in a series where I share essential tips for creating tech products people love, based on the book Design Things That Make Sense (with a free downloadable toolkit).
A Single Metric
Making data easy to digest is key. Advanced health and fitness wearables, powered by AI, simplify complex data into easy-to-understand scores. For instance, Whoop combines HRV, RHR, and sleep data to generate a daily Recovery Score (0-100), indicating readiness for workouts or other physical activities. Similarly, the Oura Ring consolidates sleep duration, efficiency, stages (light, deep, and REM sleep), sleep latency, and disturbances into a single Sleep Score, helping users gauge their overall sleep quality.
These simplified metrics enable users to make informed decisions without needing to be health experts. Whoop further simplifies action with its Whoop Coach, which uses OpenAI's technology to provide highly individualized, on-demand health and fitness coaching.
(Real-Time) Measurements and Alerts
Today’s wearables do more than just count steps or calories—they keep an eye on our vital signs too. Take the Apple Watch, for instance. It doesn’t just track your fitness, it's a guardian on your wrist, alerting you to heart rate irregularities and potentially serious health issues. While smart wearables initially featured ECG functionality, they are now expanding to monitor blood pressure, oxygen levels, and in the future even glucose levels. This kind of real-time monitoring and feedback can be crucial for preventative health care.
Data Visualization
Visuals help us grasp complex data quickly and effectively. The Fitbit app, for example, not only tracks your steps, it also provides you with rich visuals that outline your sleep patterns, comparing them to both your past performance and data from similar demographics. Meanwhile, other companies like Tonal offer advanced interactive workout equipment with real-time performance metrics reflected on a screen, blending physical and digital interaction beautifully. Tonal also leverages AI to track movement, progress and other data to adjust your workouts, weight recommendations, and more.
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Comparison
Sometimes, understanding our progress requires context. Devices like Garmin fitness trackers allow you to see how your daily activities stack up against those of friends and other (similar) users. Whoop, particularly popular among athletes, allows users to join teams and compare their performance and recovery metrics with other team members. This benchmarking can be incredibly motivating, as it puts personal achievements into perspective and encourages a bit of healthy competition—even if it’s just with yourself.
Dos and Don’ts for Provide Insight
?? Be Transparent: Always be clear about what data you collect and how it's used. Users trust you with their personal information, and it’s your duty to honor that trust with clarity and integrity.
? Insight Plus Action: Providing insights is great, but they should be actionable. It's not just about showing users their data, it's also about guiding them towards meaningful improvements. Combine this design strategy with other design strategies like Fuel Motivation (B17) or Increase Efficiency (B10). For the complete overview of design strategies, click here.
???? User-Controlled Customization: Empower users by allowing them to customize notifications and what they monitor. Everyone's journey is personal, and their tech should reflect that.
?? Focus is Key: It’s tempting to want your product to do it all, but a clear, focused approach will often lead to better user satisfaction and product performance. Start with one core function and do it exceptionally well.
In the digital era, the potential to transform lives through technology is immense. By providing people with meaningful insights and actionable data, we not only enhance their understanding of themselves but also empower them to lead healthier, happier, and more productive lives. Here's to building products that don't just meet needs but inspire new possibilities!
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This article is the sixteenth publication in a series of articles sharing practical, actionable tips on how to design tech products that people don't just use, but love. We'll dive into applying AI in ways that truly matter by making technology work for people, not the other way around.
The articles build on the world’s leading design methods for designing successful tech products, as described in the book “Design Things that Make Sense”. Visit www.designthingsthatmakesense.com to learn more or download the free toolkit.